UConn's Brianna Banks Out For Season With Torn ACL

February 04, 2013|By JOHN ALTAVILLA, jaltavilla@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

STORRS — – The news every program dreads was disclosed by No. 3 UConn Monday when the Huskies confirmed that sophomore guard Brianna Banks tore her right anterior cruciate ligament in Saturday's win at St. John's. She'll miss the rest of the season.

Banks, of Newnan, Ga., had been in the game for about a minute and had three points when she was injured in a collision while being called for a charge.

"I don't like to evoke religion when I answer questions, but God often does work in mysterious ways," coach Geno Auriemma said. "It's strange. To go from where she was last year, to where she is this year … she's done so much to improve where her game is, where her mind is. It's more disappointing knowing how far she has come.

"It's one of the game's cruelties; that [playing] can be taken from you so suddenly."

Freshman guard Moriah Jefferson will likely get more time with Banks out.

Banks' loss leaves a void on UConn's bench with as many as 18 games possibly remaining should the Huskies advance to the national championship game. The road continues Tuesday when the Huskies (20-1, 7-1) play Marquette at Gampel Pavilion.

Banks was one of just four players who had appeared in every game. She was averaging 17.1 minutes, 7.3 points and 1.7 rebounds off the bench. She finishes with 35 assists and 22 turnovers.

She became more of an offensive force this season, especially on three pointers (she has 18), after struggling with so many aspects of her game as a freshman. She was shooting 47.9 percent from the field. She scored a career-high 20 points against Colgate on Nov. 28, when the Huskies were without leading scorer Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis because of concussion.

Auriemma said the team knew how seriously injured Banks was on Sunday, when the MRI was performed.

"It was nauseating when we found out," Auriemma said. He added they didn't tell her about the severity until Monday.

"So we could all watch the Super Bowl," Auriemma said.

Once practice began Monday, everybody saw that Banks had been fitted with the heavy brace, something all-too-familiar around the UConn program. Senior guard Caroline Doty has had three left knee injuries. Assistant coach Shea Ralph had five. Former guards Mel Thomas, Sue Bird and Kaleena Greene also hurt their knee in their careers.

Normal recovery time after surgery is six to eight months. Surgery will likely take place once swelling subsides. Banks should be ready to play by October but has appeared in too many games to be able to redshirt.

How this affects UConn is hard to say. Before the St. John's game, Auriemma wondered how many teams in the nation would dig deeper than seven players for the postseason.

Now that time, which would have gone to Banks and Jefferson, is destined for Jefferson alone.

"I am ready for this. I came here for this," Jefferson said. "The time is here. I just have to do it, take things as they come day-by-day.

"But it's disappointing to see her hurt. I am very close to her, on and off the court. She's trying to stay positive. She seems fine to me, so far. I think she will be fine."

Auriemma said Jefferson has an opportunity.

"She will get a chance this next month to do the things she came to Connecticut to do," Auriemma said.

Banks' loss will be offset Tuesday by the return of center Stefanie Dolson, who missed Saturday's game with flu-like symptoms. Without her UConn struggled to replace the nation's top field goal shooter (61.2).

"I just felt nauseous," Dolson said. "I didn't want to be a detriment to the team."

Auriemma gave sophomore Kiah Stokes her first career start and her second half was better than the first.

"I thought Stefanie was going to be able to play and [preparation] is something I need to work on, being ready to play if Stefanie gets sick or hurt. I need to step up," Stokes said.

Stokes, who has missed six games this season with a stress reaction in her right shin, played 15 minutes with seven points, four rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal. But she has generally not impressed the coaches with her practice habits. She said she knows that needs to change.

Faris On Wade Watch

UConn senior guard Kelly Faris has been added to the Wade watch list, joining Dolson, Mosqueda-Lewis, Bria Hartley and 29 other Division I players in contention for the prestigious Wade Trophy